Cheri Beasley

North Carolina has a new Supreme Court justice. She’s Cheri Beasley, who currently serves as a judge on the N.C. Court of Appeals.

Gov. Bev Perdue made the announcement of Beasley’s appointment on Wednesday. Perdue exempted herself from her own executive order which would have put the nomination process through a review by a Judicial Nominating Commission so that she could make the appointment before she leaves office. Gov.-elect Pat McCrory is set to take office Jan. 5, 2013.

Beasley was elected to the Court of Appeals in 2008. Before that, she was a district court judge.

Perdue had this to say about Beasley:

“I am thrilled to appoint Cheri to our state’s highest court. She has excelled both as a District Court judge and as a judge on the Court of Appeals. She will make a superb justice on the Supreme Court.”

Beasley said this about her appointment:

“I am honored that Governor Perdue has appointed me to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court of North Carolina. I am grateful for her confidence in my ability to render fair and impartial decisions while serving on our state’s highest Court.  Throughout my years of service on the judiciary, I have always considered it a privilege to serve the people of our state.” 

The appointment will now leave a vacancy on the N.C. Court of Appeals.